The 9th In The Palace International Short Film Festival ended in the early morning of June 26th when we said "Cheers, Friends!" for the last time. For the past 168 hours we have been watching movies together, learning about cinema together, laughing and falling in love IN THE PALACE.

We would not have made it without YOU all, for whom cinema and art are our common gravitational field, without which matter would not come together in such large masses and life as we know it now, would not exist.

A lot of people talk about making a film. Very few are brave enough to do it. If you’re a storyteller, a visionary, an innovator or a technical genius with the determination to realise your dream, then get out there and make your film. Once it’s done send it to us, and we’ll take it from there. We are continually searching for the world’s best indie films and perhaps you’ve get it.

Since 2006 ÉCU has been Europe’s premier arena for independent filmmakers to screen their films to international audiences, to network with industry professionals and exchange ideas with other indie filmmakers. All in an environment that fosters creativity and imense amounts of fun.

What better city to showcase your talent than Paris, the home of cinema? There’s a reason filmmakers fall in love with this city, inspiration lies around every corner. ÉCU would like to invite you to submit your film to the 2012 edition of the festival, which will be held in Paris, France from March the 30th to April the 1st, 2012.

We are looking for original independent works across twelve categories:

Early deadline: November 20, 2011Late deadline: January 8, 2012Withoutabox extended deadline: January 15th 2012 Independent filmmakers are invited to submit their films at www.ecufilmfestival.com.

ÉCU 2012 will also host its sixth Much More Than A Script Competition!

The script competition’s focus is on independent screenplays not aimed at mainstream Hollywood film markets. Writers are invited to submit their short or feature-length scripts at www.ecufilmfestival.com

A nomination for Rob Brown‘s fine directing presenting a delicate topic with great sensitivity.

SUNSET ON A ROOFTOP

A nomination for the strong direction of Marinus Groothof on the subject of conserving eternal human values in times of conflict and crisis.

THE ORDER OF THINGS (winner)

This powerful and dramatic film takes a deep insight look at the problem of violence against women using strong visual metaphors. Its deep emotional impact is a result of the outstanding directing, cinematography and acting.

BEST NATIONAL FILM:

Nominees:

PAWNSHOP

A nomination for the beautiful directorial debut of Neshka Karadzhinska telling a story with sensibility and skill.

THE GOOD NEIGHBOUR

A nomination for its strong script and cinematographic and directorial potential.

TRAINS (winner)

For the deep and moving depiction of the problem of poverty, skillfully presented using professional cinematographic language. The strong message and provoking social sensibility and Antoaneta Petrova’s outstanding performance make this film the winner in Best National Film category.

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Nominees:

DANNY BOY (winner)

This dramatic, sad and poetic film was impressively animated using human sized puppets. A beautifully told story, strong direction and originality make this film our winner for best Animated Film.

JUNK

This beautifully animated Burton-esque film with outstanding production design and original story told with fine sense of humor deserves a Special Mention for directing as well as a Nomination in the Best Animated Film category.

THE SPOON

For the originality of its script, for the freshness of its design and animation, for the way this one-man film makes it all look easy “The Spoon” is our third nomination for Best Animated Film.

BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM

Nominees:

3SAI: A RITE OF PASSAGE

A nomination for the strong cinematographic skills and the emotional and metaphorical language.

HER MOTHER’S DAUGHTERS (winner)

This beautiful, poetic film is skillfully directed and shot. It also shines with great Art Direction, Costume design and Music.

VOICES

A nomination for the artistic approach to the fascinating and sensitive topic of insanity. A strong and visually impressive film by Costa e Silva, Canetti and Santoloni.

BEST TV FILM

Nominees:

OLIVIERO TOSCANI – THE RAGE OF IMAGES (winner)

For the outstanding performance of the director and cinematographer. A strong story, provoking artistic and social sensibility.

PINK ANGER – INDIA’S WOMEN FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS

A nomination for depicting with passion the continuous battle for justice in complicated surroundings.

STRICTLY ALLOWED

A nomination for this prominent interpretation on the subject of the lack of freedom, using spectacular cinematographic skills.

The voices of this year's directors show more clearly than ever that people from all nations are bonded by the same love, loss and laughter. Whether from Africa, Asia, America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand or the Middle East we are one in our needs and emotions. Perhaps in the 21st century the hand written note has been replaced by the cell phone or the text message, but communication remains the plot of every story.

After careful deliberation into the wee hours of the morning (June, 25th) our jury emerged unanimous in our decision for BEST FILM and BEST DOCUMENTARY. In all categories, the work is outstanding -- script, cinematography, editing, direction and acting. Taken together these are among the best short films ever made. Even the documentaries are driven by a powerful narrative. We honor the following films.

The nominees for BEST DOCUMENTARY are:

Canopy Crossing

Mother (winner)

Undertow Eyes

BEST DOCUMENTARY

MOTHER, unanimously chosen as the winner for excellent achievement in Documentary filmmaking gives us a glimpse via a forgotten camera into the life of a struggling elderly Polish matriarch. Spellbinding in it's intimacy and details MOTHER lives with constant waiting.

Special mention: Canopy Crossing

The nominees for BEST FILM are:

Ana's Playground

Chalk

Dissection of a Storm (winner)

Minute 200

Paris Shanghai

The Cassava Metaphor

BEST FILM

DISSECTION OF A STORM is unparalleled in every aspect of filmmaking in the main competition of the IN THE PALACE film festival - from the superb cinematography, lighting, acting, editing, sound, music, story, art direction - every element of the film language was eloquently executed to drive the story forward. We are pleased to honor DISSECTION OF A STORM with BEST FILM.

"Focus on Finland" (20.06) will be part of the 9th edition of the International Short Film Festival IN THE PALACE. It will begin with the opening of the traveling exhibition "Finland for centuries". The exhibition has already visited Sofia, Pleven and Veliko Tarnovo and for its opening in White City will arrive the Ambassador of Finland in Bulgaria Ms. Tarja Laitiainen and Finland's honorary consul in Varna Krasimir Ganchev.

During the festival will be screened the feature Finnish film "Princess" (20.06, 20 p.m.), directed by Arto Halonen. The screening will be accompanied by a cocktail, which will be given by the Embassy of Finland in Bulgaria.

A record number of Finnish films - 90 - applied to participate in the competition at the ninth edition of IN THE PALACE. Selected by them are 4 titles – Garden, dir. Pirjetta Brander, A Finnish Fable, dir. Niina Suominen, To Anne Marie, dir. Petra Lindholm and Night Train, dir. Juha Maeki-Jussila. The centre for distribution of Finnish media art AV ARKKI, whose films are involved in competitive programmes, will be presented in parallel projection, curated by Mikko Mallinen, distribution assistant of AV ARKKI.

Linda O. Olszewski – Head Acquisition Executive for Oscar Shorts theatrical, iTunes, VOD, TV and airline releases for the Academy Award nominated short films - will lead a workshop during the 9th edition of IN THE PALACE Short Film Festival, Balchik. Power of film will provide the skills needed not only to make a successful film or animation, but also a diskussion about such an important topics as crowd funding, festival and distribution strategy.

How to qualify your film for Academy award consideration? We know for a fact Linda will give you the best answer!

There are three Bulgarian ladies on the jury of the International Short Film Festival IN THE PALACE, Balchik.

Elena Yoncheva, Dr. Emilia Stoeva and Ruzha Koleva - these are the three bulgarian ladies who this year will be part of the all female jury of the International Short Film Festival IN THE PALACE, Balchik. The professions of the three women - a journalist, film director and animator - in Bulgarian language are masculine nouns, but they - Elena, Emilia and Ruzha - are proof that the only category of successful career is professionalism.

The "hot spot" of Bulgarian journalism

The term "hot spot" in the Bulgarian TV journalism is inextricably linked with the name of Elena Yoncheva. Chechnya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Somalia, North Korea - these are just some of the countries visited by Elena, who observed the raging war and unprecedented collisions there. Her filmography includes more than 25 documentaries, including Sarajevo, The Chechen case, Israel - peace in the minds, war in the hearts, Colombia - the cocaine jungle, Venezuela - Oil and Revolution. People, not only known but also observed by the whole world, have stood in front of her microphone: Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Nelson Mandela, Radovan Karadzic, Ahmed Shah Masud, Salman Raduev, Shamil Basayev. Elena is the only Bulgarian journalist who for five consecutive years has been awarded the prize for best TV reporter and seven years in a row gets the award for best TV documentary in Bulgaria.

Professione: Camerawoman

Emilia Stoeva is one of the few women in Bulgarian cinema, who have a successful career behind the camera. Director of more than 40 documentaries, popular science and advertising films, teacher and friend to hundreds of students of cinematography in the Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, New Bulgarian University and the young metropolitan Professional College of Screen Arts, Emilia is the author of the only English-Bulgarian dictionary of Film terminology and the almanac for young professionals The visual marriage of digital and photochemical cinematography. In 2010 together with one of the top directors in the world - Oliver Stone, Emilia Stoeva was on the jury of the International Film Festival in Singapore. In today's lexicon of Bulgarian cinema her name is synonymous with boundless creative energy and dedication to the profession.

The bulgarian trail across the ocean

Ruzha Koleva is one of the young but already established names of Bulgarian animation school, who under the conditions of the native reality, is successful across the ocean. Her biography includes creative projects for some of the largest companies in the industry, such as Dream Works, Canadian Cinar studio, Studio Django. She is one of the animators of the award winning Arthur, Belleville Triplets, Legend of Desperado and the nominated for Oscar The Illusionist. For the Festival IN THE PALACE Ruzha will fly from Los Angeles, California, where she currently lives and works.

I am honored to be on the jury of the Festival IN THE PALACE and I am pleased that after so many years abroad I am part of a Bulgarian project of this magnitude. I've heard great reviews from friends and colleagues who have been attending the festival for years. This is one of the most serious East European Short Film Festivals, and the only one in Bulgaria.

I am expecting an interesting and varied international selection. Furthermore, I am hoping for a strong Bulgarian participation in general and especially for good Bulgarian animation. - Ruzha Koleva.

Linda O. Olszewski – Head Acquisition Executive for Oscar Shorts theatrical, iTunes, VOD, TV and airline releases for the Academy Award nominated short films also known as Oscars will be part of the jury at IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival in Balchik.

One of surprises of the Festival this year is the all-female jury. The jury members are chosen to represent the female empowerment in film industry, which is perceived as a "male territory".

HUNTING FOR OSCAR, INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION & TV OPS

Linda O. Olszewski is not only an Acquisitions Executive of the biggest short film distribution company, Shorts International and their 24 hour short film TV Channels, ShortsHD, She also has an extensive studio feature and doc production background (Shrek, The Road To El Dorado, Prince Of Egypt, Last Images Of War, Los Voladores de Ueuetla, The Life Of David Gale, car-ma, Cannes Or Bust, Reality Bites, Cohen And Tate). She has participated in numerous global film festival juries and panels, where she has made it her mission to explain the ins and outs of the short film world, the path to Oscar and the rules on how to qualify a short for consideration for the Oscar short film live-action, animation and documentary categories. She has served as senior programmer of the Palm Springs Short Film Festival, Programmer for the Newport Beach Film Festival and also as a feature, doc and shorts screener for the Sundance Film Festival. She co-heads world acquisitions of Shorts International Ltd. – the largest company distributing short films and for ShortsHDTV, Shorts on iTunes, Oscar Shorts. She's also a photographer, so if she has her camera with her - be ready to be in a picture.

THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT IN BALCHIK

"The increasing number of interesting women in the "male" world of the film industry is a fact so we decided to nominate all-female jury this year. Linda O. Olszewski is the first of the exceptional International and Bulgarian names which will evaluate the competing films in Balchik from 18 to 25 June this year. We are really glad that she accepted our invitation. This shows our position among the most prestigious international short film events. There are more interesting surprises in the list of jury members and among the festival guests." – said the Festival Director of IN THE PALACETsanko Vasilev.

25 000 Euro in classic investment gold bullions is the prize fund of the International Short Film Festival IN THE PALACE, Balchik.

For the 9th consecutive year the festival will present current trends in world cinema by the challenging form of short films.

Several weeks before the deadline for film submissions the number of applicants is increasing constantly. So far, the festival has attracted unprecedented interest from 105 countries on 6 continents.

There are four competition programmes in which an International Jury will distribute prize fund amounting to 25,000 euro in classic investment gold bullions produced by the Swiss refinery "Argor Heraeus". In the main competition, divided into International and Bulgarian sections, are competing films not shown in Bulgaria. All films with Bulgarian premiere may participate in the competition programme for the prize of Balchik Municipality. There are also traditional for the festival competitions for TV films, commercial and music videos.

Deadline for submission of entry documents, together with preview film copies for selection for Bulgarian participants is April 15th, and for international participants – March 25th.

IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival is an event of national significance present in European and world cultural calendar. It is organized in partnership and with the support of Balchik Municipality, Ministry of Culture, National Film Centre, and the State Cultural Institute – Cultural Centre "The Palace", Balchik, and is the first and only short film festival in Bulgaria, funded by programmes of the European Union.